Archive for August 27th, 2006

As I was meditating upon Psalm 90 today, my sons reminded me of this poem, a long-time favorite. The message of the poet seems to reverberate with the hopeful thought (also present in Psalm 90) that life, though short, may be intensely meaningful and significant. I copied and pasted the poem from the site Representative Poetry Online.

verse 17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; year, the work of our hands estalish thou it. (Emphasis added.)

As I read this psalm, I am reminded that my life, my time upon earth is exceeding brief, even as a tale that is told (verse 9), as a night’s sleep (verse 5) or as grass that grows and withers in one day (verses 5 and 6).

Though my lifetime is short, still it must and may be spent to God’s glory. It is a deception to think that life’s brevity indicates that life then is futile or meaningless. The psalmist prays (and I am encouraged to pray with him), teach me how to spend these days in godly wisdom (verse 12). How I live my life is significant.

Firstly, I must seek unto the Father, through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ for cleansing from my sinfulness and my sins, that the beauty of the LORD my God might be upon me (verse 17). I Timothy 2:5,6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Secondly, I must energetically do the work which the Lord providentially sets before me (the work of my hands, not someone else’s work) (verse 17). For me, this is the work of a wife and mother. By God’s grace I seek to be wise or sober, to love my husband, to love my children, to be discreet, chaste, to be a keeper of the home, to be truly good, and to be obedient to my own husband, that the word of God be not blasphemed (Titus 2:4,5). Within my sphere of influence, I may be zealous for good works, to God’s glory (I Timothy 2:9-15, especially verse 10).